BY THE COMMITTEE UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF PALOLI MOHAMMED KUTTY, THE MINISTER FOR

LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT REGARDING

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF

JUSTICE SACHAR COMMISSION REPORT

IN KERALA

[Approved by the Government as per Order No.G.O.(Ms.) 148/08/GAD dated 6-5-2008]

The eleven member Committee formed by the Government of Kerala, for submitting proposals necessary for implementing the recommendations of Justice Rajindar Sachar Commission Report in Kerala, is submitting the report prepared on the basis of the studies and data collections conducted during the last months of November, December and January for the consideration of the Government of Kerala.

There were about 4000 proposals in the 398 represenations received during the sittings conducted in the fourteen districts. On codification of similar nature, after avoiding the repetitions therein, the committee found seventy seven problems as concrete. On the basis of the nature of subjects depended on in the Sachar Commission Report, those problems are discussed in this Report in eight parts.

Of them, there are problems which are to be considered with utmost importance and on a long time basis. Herein, the ten problems which are to be considered with utmost importance are given separately in the Ninth part of the Report.

(Sd.)

PALOLI MOHAMMED KUTTY,

Minister for Local Self Government

Chairman,

Sachar Commission Report Study Committee.

Thiruvananthapuram,

21.2.2008.

PREFACE

On 9th March, 2005 the Government of India had engaged a seven member committee under the leadership of Justice Rajindar Sachar for submitting a Report to the Central Government on the Muslim Community in India by collecting the statistics and the status in the educational-social and economic sectors by objective analysis. The Central Government have undertaken such a mission as part of an attempt to find out the infirmities suffered by the Muslim community in this field and to find out solutions to these infirmities through creative intervention. As a result of an intensive effort for a period of almost one and a half years, a detailed and comprehensive report prepared by the High Level Committee under the leadership of Justice Sachar was placed before the parliament on 30th November, 2006. The Sachar Report has recorded that the Muslim appeasement is a coloured myth and moreover that they are becoming the most backward community in the developmental path. In the light of the Sachar Committee Report, most of the national political movements have demanded to take steps for the redressal of Muslim backwardness. In this matter, the Left Democratic Front Government in Kerala have initiated exemplary steps. For submitting suggestions regarding the implementation of the Sachar Committee Report in Kerala, as per an order issued on 15th October, 2007, the Government of Kerala have engaged a Committee with Shri Paloli Mohammed Kutty (Minister for Local Self Government) as Chairman and the following persons as members:

The real status of the Indian Muslims as revealed in the Sachar Report, the following deserve special attention:

In one-third of the villages concentrated with Muslim population, there are no kind of educational institutions.

There is insufficiency in the field of health care in the villages concentrated with Muslim population. No treatment facilities are available in 40% of such villages.

The infrastructure facilities are quite inadequate in the Muslim areas. This severely affects the attainment of basic needs such as education, Public health, transportation etc.

In the standard of living, the Muslims stand above the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes and almost equal to other backward communities in Hindus. In the matter of water, electricity, modern fuels, etc. Muslims are backward to Hindus in general.

When compared to other religious categories there exists poverty among Muslims in large scale. The condition of Muslms is impoving only slightly than the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

In the employees, in Government- Publlic Sector, Muslims are only in small propotion. Besides that they are concentrated mostly in lower level posts. The average income of a Muslim employee is lower than that of an employee of other socio- religious category.

As per the national level datas, while the Backward Hindus are realities experiencing depriviation, the Muslims are in total far behind than the Hindu Backwards.

There are two realities to be recognised by any individual who is having true loyalty to Nation. First, the meaningful existence of democracy is textured with social justice. Second, if a majority of the population is deprived of the fruits of development, then the progress of the country itself will be in danger. Due to these reasons, the problem of the Muslims is to be recognised as a national problem.

MUSLIMS IN KERALA

Kerala stands apart in minority reservation, by giving reservation benefits to Muslims also, which is a backward-minority community. The demand for reservation from the Communities having low-representation had been recognised in 1936s itself in the erstwhile princly States of Travancore and Kochi. It is this reservation which has been prevailing in Kerala for years, has given some sort of relief to the backward depressed people.

Even though the Muslim backwardness in Kerala is different from that of in other States in India, in details and in circumstances, the Sachar committee has found in various sectors that it is a gazing reality on social justice. Even though Kerala stands apart from other States on account of political awareness, the progressive character inherited by renaissance movements, the availability of infrastructure facilities and the common advancement achieved in the health-education sectors by the Keralites, the reality is thjat the Muslims in Kerala stand far behind than the other Communities in the social, economic and educational fields.

The standard of education of a community is one of the prime criterion for its status in the society. The mode of acquisition of education and skill among the various social categories in Kerala indicates the progress among all the categories. There is a substantial increase in the percentage of literacy. The differences prevailed in general literacy rate has been decreased gradually. But still there exists differences in the level of acquisition of education. The standard of education of the Keralite Muslims stands too low to that of Christians and the castes those stood in the prime position in the traditional caste series.

Population-Kerala

Percentage

Kerala

3,18,41,374

Hindu

1,78,83,449

56.16

Muslim

78,63,842

24.70

Christian

60,57,427

19.02

Others

36,656

0.12

(Source- Census of 2001)

The activities of the people in the age group of 18-25 in various religious communities (in percentage)

Community

In College

Other Studies

Total Study

Employed

Unemployed

(1)

(2)

(1+2)

Hindu

18.7

9.9

28.6

32.3

39.1

Forward Hindu

28.1

11.6

39.7

24.1

36.3

Backward Hindu

16.7

10.2

26.9

33.0

40.2

Scheduled Caste

10.3

6.6

16.9

42.2

40.9

Scheduled Tribe

11.8

5.9

17.7

37.3

45.1

Muslim

8.1

6.2

14.3

30.5

55.2

Christian

20.5

14.9

35.4

32.7

31.9

(Source: Kerala Padanam—Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishath page-75)

The landless in religion wise

Religious category

Landless (%)

Hindu

37.2

Muslim

37.8

Christian

3

(Source: National Sample Survey—2001/55th round)

Employment Participation in various sectors on religion basis

Religion

Total (%)

Farmers

Agricultural Worker

College Industry

Other Employment

Hindu

35.72

1.96%

6.55%

1.50%

25.71%

Muslim

23.25

1.41%

2.74%

0.62%

18.48%

Christian

33.91

4.33%

3.81%

0.86%

24.91%

(Source: Sachar Committee Report)

The proportion of workers employed in the production field and Trade/ commercial field among various categories (2004-05)

Serial No

Community

Production

Trade

1

Forward Hindu

14.3

11.4

2

Backward Hindu

22.1

9.8

3

Scheduled Caste/Tribe

12.0

2.2

4

Muslim

9.2

27.1

(Source: Sachar Committee Report)

Poverty among various categories

[on Head Count Ratio (H.C.R)]

Category

H.C.R (%)

Scheduled Caste

38.00

Scheduled Tribe

38.7

Muslim

28.7

Hindu

22.6

Christian

4.0

(Source: Kerala Padanam, Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishath)

In accordance with the schedule added as appendix, the Committee visited the various districts in the State and received representations. Various Muslim religious social-political-cultural organisations as well as the secular organisations in Kerala had participated in these sittings with deep interest. The sittings, attended by Muslims and non Muslim personals

was indicative of the increasing interest of the Muslims in the national developmental process. The Organisations which were listed in the Appendix have participated in all the district level sittings and submitted with curiosity the representations containing suggestions.

Various scholars, researchers, thinkers and Organisations have helped us in preparing this report containing the recommendations. Among them, the help given by Prof. K.M.Bahauddin, former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh University and Dr. K.K. Usman Aluva are noteworthy.

We submit the following suggestions after having examined the available representations and studies.